Boot or shoe and shank-stiffener therefor.



No. 783,756. PATENTED FEB. 28, 1905. W. H. NIOKERSON.

BOOT OR SHOE AND SHANK STIPFENER THEREFOR. APPLICATION FILED 001 .29. 1904.

Ehwwm Witnesses QW 3W4) $3. /7 gzwgv e *7 jfj iin'irnn Smarts Patented February 28, 19055 idriirisnr fl ri i cisi iVILLIAt/l H. NTGKERSO'N, ()l BROUKION. MASSAUi-lUSETTEi.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 783,756, film bruary 28, 190'.

Application filed October 29, 1904. Serial No. 230,511.

To all whom it 'lmty concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. Nicknnson', of Brockton, in the county oi Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Boots or Shoes and Shank-Stifl'encrs Therei'oigoi which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to boots and shoes, and particularly to means for stitlening the shank portions thereof. The invention has for its object to provide a shank-stiffener oi improved construction imparting to the shank portion oi the boot or shoe a high degree of strength and resiliency and at the same time involving a material reduction in the cost oi production.

The shank-stiffener which I have illustrated herein is adapted to serve as a pocket or holder for a waterproof filling com position inserted between the portions of the channel-ii p which extend along the shank, the said stiiiener being shown as applied to a welted shoe, although not restricted to the latter.

Of the acconmanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a bottom view of a welted boot or shoe as prepared fer the application oi the outer sole, the latter not being shown. Fig. 2 represents asection on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 rep resents a perspective view of my improved shank-stiifener.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the figures.

in the drawings which illustrate an application to a welted shoe of one embodimei'itoi the invention, (1/ represents the inner sole, 0 the upper, and c the welt, of a weltcd boot or shoe, said parts being united by the usual in seam-stitches (Z, extending through the welt and upper and through the between substance of the inner sole intervening between the edge on which the upper bears and the bottom oi the channel c, which is Formed in the outer sole for the reception of said stiii'ihes. The formation oi the channel creates a channeilip 0 which extends along the margin oi the shank and the fore part of the inner sole and face of the central portion of the inner sole by the inseam-stitches.

The outer Iace oi i the shank portion oi the sole oi a con'lpleted boot or shoe while narrower than the fore part is given a more abrupt transverse curvature. To give the outer sole the desired curvature at the shank portion, it is customary to apply a combined shank-stiiiener and [illing-piece. which not only stii'l'ens the shank. but also increases its thickness between the channel-lips e and imparts the desired transverse curvature to the shank portion of the outer sole.

it is common to em ploy a shank-sti ilener and filling-piece made oi two parts. one oi which is a strip oi' lL.:1illH.l"-i)()21l'tl or other non-metal lic material adaptml to give suitable bulk to the stiiiener and filling-piece and a strip ot metal attached to the first-mentioned strip and imparting the desired stiii'l'iess to the shank. Stii'leners of this character are expensive, owing to the cost of material composing the two parts and the labor of assembling and securing said parts together. itioreover, the non-metallic layer or member of the shankstitiener is porous and adapted to absorb water. lzi ence it it becomeswet it swells and exerts such pressure on the outer sole as to strain it and partially draw away the stitches that connect it to the welt.

The shank-stiliener which i have described herein is made as a single resilient piece, preterablv ol sheet metal, and adapted to stiiieu and strengthen the shank and to constitute a resilient ,vet suiiiciently strong and durable support For the shank portion oi the outer sole and to retain in said portion the desired transversely arched or crmvning iorm. The stiii'ener is also adapted to sci-v. as a pocket or holder for a waterproof composition applied to the taco oi the shank portion oi' the inner sole. said composition being held in place by the shank-stiliener and adapted to exclude water from the inner solo.

in carrying out my invention i provide a shank-stiflenerf, which is composed ol asim gle piece oi resilient sheet material, preterably steel, i'orn'ied to cover the greater part oi the outer face of the shank portion of the inis raised and caused to stand out from the ner sole, as indicated in Fig. l. in a welted Him) tilt, ii'itiulinal edges oi the stiii'cner are preferably shaped to conlorm closely to the contour of the portions of the channel-lip 6, extending along the shank. The stiffener f is arched transversely, so that while its edges bear upon the inner sole it presents a convex outer surface which supports the shank portion of the outer sole and gives the said shank portion the desired curvature.

The inner surface of the stiffener is separated from the face of the shank portion of the inner sole by a cavity adapted to receive a substantial thickness of waterproof filling material g. The said filling material may be composed of a composition of ground cork and rubber cement, or it may be of any other suitable nature. The filling material is preferably applied in a plastic condition, the stiffener 7" being laid upon the layer of filling material and pressed inwardly, causing the filling material to adhere to the arched inner surface of the-stiffener.

The stiffener is secured to the inner sole by means of tacks or other fasteners [L /L, the stiffeners being provided at one end portion with one or more orifices 7 formed to rigidly engage a tack, and at the other end with one or more longitudinally-elongated slots 2' 1'. These slots provide for a slidingeonnection between the stiffener'and the inner sole and permit the necessary flexure of the stiffener caused by walking without liability of wrenching the forward fasteners it from the inner solo.

The concave inner side of the stiffener, separated between the edges from the shank portion of the inner sole by a space or cavity, not only provides a pocket for filling material, but also leaves the crown of the stiffener-arch free to move toward and from the inner sole, as required by the flexnre of the shank. This freedom of movement is not materially affected by the filling when the latter is of the yielding and compressible nature above described.

It will be seen that the stiffener formed as, described is adapted to be applied with the minimum expense of time and labor and that it is relatively inexpensive in construction.

The stiffener may be used without the filling material, if desired.

The use of the stiffener is not limited to welted boots and shoes.

In all cases the longitudinal edges of the stiffener are curved to conform approximately to the edges of those portions of the upper that are attached to the inner sole, the stiffener having a varying width and conforming in area to that part of the shank portion of the inner sole which is located between the edges of the upper.

v I claim 1. A shank-stiffener comprising a resilient plate transversely arched to present a convex shank-supporting outer surface, and a concave inner surface adapted to form one side of a cavity between the stiffener and the inner sole, the longitudinal edges of the stiffener being shaped to conform approximately to the edges of the upper at the shank portion of the inner sole.

2. In a boot or shoe, a resilient, transverselyarched shank-stiffener bearing at its edges on the inner sole and presenting a convex outer surface supporting the shank portion of the outer sole, and a concave inner surface forming one side of a cavity between the stiffener and the inner sole, the edges of the stiffener being shaped to conform approximately to the edges of the upper at the shank portion of the inner sole.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

\VILLIAM H. NICKERSOB.

IVitnesses:

C. F. BROWN, E. BATCHELDER. 

